From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
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The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, and Minister Jack Chambers TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Sport and the Gaeltacht, today welcomed the launch of the National Development Plan 2021-2030, following an extensive review.
The revised NDP sees total public investment of €165 billion over the period 2021-2030. This will bring public investment to 5% of GNI*, well above the recent EU average of 3% of GDP. This will include a significant package of capital investment of over €1bn from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media over the period 2021 to 2025.
The department’s capital investment will deliver on the following high level objectives for the department’s sectors:
Minister Martin said:
"I am very pleased to announce the capital investment priorities for my department, which will support economic recovery and resilience in the Tourism, Arts, Culture, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media sectors, while also enhancing individual and community wellbeing and advancing social, economic and environmental sustainability to protect our unique cultural, linguistic and sporting heritage for generations to come.
“I look forward to seeing the delivery of projects that will support a sustainable tourism sector including through Fáilte Ireland’s Platforms for Growth strategy. This is particularly important as we emerge from the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a devastating impact on the Tourism industry. As we rebuild this vital sector we must build back in a way that ensures the contribution of the Tourism sector to our economic recovery, providing sustainable employment across Ireland, including in our Gaeltacht regions along the Wild Atlantic Way, in a way that protects our unique environment.
“I am also excited about the investments we are making in redeveloping and enhancing the sustainability of our national and regional cultural infrastructure. In particular, I look forward to the delivery of significant capital projects at our National Cultural Institutions, like the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork which will see an ambitious redevelopment to open our National Collections up to even more people, to enhancing the visitor experience of the gallery, while also protecting and enhancing the sustainability of this historic building at the heart of the city."
The Minister of State with responsibility for Sport and the Gaeltacht, Jack Chambers, said:
"I am delighted to secure the future of capital investment in sports, which will support the National Sports Policy goal of enhancing the health and well-being of the nation. Both the Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund and the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme will continue to support clubs and organisations across the country to increase participation in sports, while major projects like delivery of a National Velodrome and Badminton Centre at the Sport Ireland Campus will have a positive effect on our future international performance in cycling and badminton.
“Continued investment through Údarás na Gaeltachta will help to secure the economic future of our Gaeltacht communities, and investment in the department’s Gaeltacht and Irish Language Capital Support Schemes will help to promote and maintain the use of the Irish language both within and outside the Gaeltacht.”
Key priorities for the department include:
Tourism
Arts, Culture and Media
Sports
Gaeltacht
The department’s capital investment in these vital sectors will be seen across all regions including through Tourism development, through investment in our Gaeltacht communities, through sustainable investment in our national and regional cultural and linguistic infrastructure, and through continued investment in sport infrastructure right across Ireland.
Well-targeted public capital investment to develop our tourism, culture and sporting amenities, as well as investment in our language resources and a vibrant local media can have a transformative impact on employment opportunities, economic development and regional growth, and can improve the liveability of both urban and rural communities through place-making.
The NDP review has provided a chance to take account of the major opportunities and challenges that can be addressed through public investment under Project Ireland 2040, including COVID-19, Brexit, a population projected to grow by one million people between 2016 and 2040 and, crucially, climate action.
The critical nature of climate action underpins investment decisions throughout the new NDP. It also details the climate and environmental assessment of the NDP Review, how the funding arising from the increases in the carbon tax will be allocated. Under the revised NDP the department will work to reorient its activities like capital schemes to deliver on the growth targets in the National Planning Framework as well as the ambition of the Climate Action Plan. The department is also committed to the development of a sustainable Tourism industry on this Island.